PITTI UOMO 94: HIGHLIGHTS

a cura di Alessandro Martinelli

Our correspondent from Florence recounts the major events that have occurred from 11 to 15 Giugno 2018 in Florence during Pitti Immagine Uomo with a selection of major brands seen in Fortezza da Basso, excellent debuts, spectacular parades and events which have driven the Tuscan capital.

Lunedì 11 Giugno

“The Elegance of Speed”

The fashion show opened at the Palazzo Pitti, in the passage of Angiolini, with the opening of the photographic exhibition (until the 16 Settembre) “The Elegance of Speed”: a collection of 90 Archive photo shots between Locchi 1934 and the 1965 which demonstrate the evolution car in Tuscany. There are three main sections: the first dedicated to the Tuscan racing on four wheels, such as the Mugello Circuit, that of Cascine, Firenze-Fiesole and the Consuma Cup, Now it is particularly appreciated by fans of the genre pageants. The second part relates the story of the famous pilots, such as Tazio Nuvolari, Marzotto and Trossi, depicted with the typical suits and helmets of those years.

Infine, the path proposes the bodywork, with rare images of the first Concours d'Elegance at the Boboli Gardens dated 1948. La mostra, directed by Alessandra Griffo and curated by Alessandro Bruni, Erika Ghilardi and Matthew Paris Bini, It is realized with the CR Foundation contribution Florence engaged for the second time in enhancement and communication of such an important archive, and with the support of K-array, manufacturer of speaker systems and high-end audio professional management based in Mugello, in this exhibition with a sophisticated audio system, Coffee and Gilli, good living in Florence from 1733 that occurs more than once in the Archives shots Historical Photo Locchi.

70Anniversary of "Fratelli Conforti" Fabrics

Poster of the short movie – Miss Piggy – Screening of the documentary

On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of Prato "Conforti Brothers tissues", It was premiered at the film "Moonlight" a short film, vaguely monicelliano entitled "Italian fabrics", played by Maurizio Lombardi. The documentary celebrates the story of a company born in 1948 for idea grandfather Alvaro, who decided to rent a deconsecrated church 1200 and turn it into a wholesale fabric. The success exploded in the early eighties, when’enfant terrible French fashion Jean Paul Gaultier gave the company the production of fabrics for her own collection. The family tradition continued with the descendants (Francesco, Laura and John), who they have transferred their headquarters in a modern warehouse in the province of Prato. The event was strongly supported by one of the founder's heirs: it is Francesco Conforti, known for being the producer of "The Last gypsy", documentary homage to My Friends. “Frank” (thus it is nicknamed Mr.. Conforti) He wanted to create a documentary in the spirit of Carousel: five minutes of humor that are a warning to "return to wool", ie the rediscovery of the quality of tradition in a world dominated by nylon and duvets. The event took place in a typical cinema outdoor atmosphere 50s, animated by a colorful open bar and period music proposed by Miss Piggy, famous DJ who put the disks in an old Fiat 500.

Martedì 12 Giugno

“Bonaveri, a fan of Pucci”

The historic Palazzo Pucci, two steps from the Florentine Cathedral, hosts a special exhibition dedicated to the fusion of the kaleidoscopic world of Emilio Pucci and the pioneer of the project Bonaveri.Il dummies it is the result of a fruitful conversation between Emma Davidge, creative director of Chameleon Visual, and Laudomia Pucci, who gave life to an extraordinary mix of heritage, innovation, wisdom and creative crafts. The dummy is no tool to show creations, but becomes only protagonist of a visual path that winds through the Renaissance architecture of the building. We start with the inner courtyard, where is has a gigantic mannequins installation in Vivara printing and proceed to the second floor, where the spectacular lounge is intoxicated by a rainbow of colors, where velvet mannequins in all the visible spectrum shades look ironic visitors wearing funny hats, some of them created by Philip Treacy. One of the symbols of Pucci, the freedom in the movement, It is symbolized by two large fans shaking in a lovely print dress B&W, while the ballroom, also known as the "White Room" reinterprets the five elements in an ironic. Ground floor, that historically housed the laboratories of the house embroidery, It is given ample space to the savoir-faire of Bonaveri. Divided into three sections ( The Cutting Room; The Sewing Room e The Miniature Workshop), the rooms have an internal workshop where the artisans give life to Bonaveri Pucci mannequins. The trip ends with a visit to the Marquis Emilio Pucci study, They are hosting some personal memorabilia that lead to the dressing room where a group of small mannequins monitor the performance of pieces stored.

Row X SOTF

The Florentine store on Via de’ Tornabuoni presented with a mega party in hip hop style with the music of deejay DJ doubles its collaboration with the brand FILA, which provides for the creation of a custom t-shirt where the final of the F store logo was replaced with an embroidered. Also imminent launch of the Fila Ray, total white dresses with classic colors company South Korean playing contrasting.

Gucci Garden: tribute to Björk

Details of the new hall

With a luxurious cocktail in the historic Palace of Merchandise in Piazza della Signoria, Gucci Garden has opened a new hall, that celebrates the creative collaboration between the Icelandic artist Michele and Alessandro. The meeting point was established by the project to the video dress "The gate" (2017) that the intention of the singer gives manifest form to overcome a pain, at the end of a long labor of love until it became ( and to transform it) downtown sprigionante love. The dress designed by Michele is the result of a long tailoring, which makes use of materials and fabrics very different from each other, such as PVC Iridescent, organza lurex, Chinese crepe, silk jersey and incrustations of crystals. The dress is accompanied by the artist James Merry masks, that on the one hand highlight the feminine traits and other fluid create an aura, beyond gender stereotypes. Around the creations, a collection of objects ( a copy of Dante's Paradiso, ornate furnishings, etc) It symbolizes the free flow of mental associations of designers, following a narrative that gives space to the mystery and to concerns and questions the traditional concept of harmony and beauty.

Polimoda show: the “Separate collection”

A creation of Junia Warrior – Ex Tobacco Factory – Finale of the show "Separate collection"

Alle ore 22 at the former tobacco factory, example of rationalist architecture and future home of Polimoda near the Teatro Puccini and the Cascine Park, were presented the best men's and women Undergraduate Course in Fashion Design: the atmosphere dark and post-industrial, the street casting of young boys from the unusual beauty and electro-punk sound of Röyksopp made a counterpoint to the show, entitled "Separate collection" (recycling). The aim of the school is to promote the flow of creativity and divergent equip new sense objects that normally would be overlooked: a real "fashion upcycling" where every student had full freedom of expression , re-evaluating the significance of today's fashion, highlighting the differences and varying shades of thought in its independence and interconnection with the world around us. Under the direction of DM Fashion Studio and supervision of Sara Kozlowski, CFDA Director of Education and Professional Development, a commission of eminent personalities from the world of fashion, including Laudomia Pucci, Sam Cotton, Riccardo Vannetti, Antonio Mancinelli, It has been joined by Linda Loppa ( Polimoda Advisor Strategy & Vision ) Danilo Venturi and the director to evaluate the best collection of fine during 2018. The winner this year is called Junia Guerrera: with its collection "Sentimental materialism", The young designer has reflected on today's world, obsessed with social media, observing the spasmodic accumulation of objects to require attention and the distortion of reality that leads to a form of dystonia. Starting from silhouettes rigid and shaped, He has built draped draperies where the asymmetry and of still pictures death give new life to objects thrown away, giving them a new look luxury.

Mercoledì 13 Giugno

Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders : look n°3 – Band of Outsiders : look n°6 – Band of Outsiders : look n°9

In the courtyard of the Powder Fortress of Basso, SS collection 2019, marking the fourth anniversary of Angelo Van Mol as design and Daniel Hettmann as brand director, It is inspired by a journey of college students in Italy. an entire wardrobe is proposed dedicated to everyday life, characterized by extreme lightness and from destructuring. Many accessories, including marsupi, Wide hats and visors table with the new B logo. The square collared shirts with college have many prints, designed by the New York Amit Greenberg and inspired by the ancient Roman ruins, They are worn with twins or combined with straight pants, work uniforms are transformed into a modern suit that highlights the tailoring techniques used. Constant game between formal and clothing "leisure", where a tailored shirt is combined with a suit vintage flavor or a double-breasted jacket is presented with an oversized rain jacket. Numerous collaborations, including one with Sergio Tacchini and the brand of English Kirk Originals eyewear.

The Umbrian brand of urban-couture accessories has presented his collection FW 18/19 in its boutique Piazza de’ Rucellai a Firenze con un cocktail party. Special guests della serata Jasmine Thompson – famous British singer, face of the new advertising campaign and brand Ambassador-, Electra Lamborghini and Andreas Muller. The collaboration with Thompson was strongly supported by the new talented creative director David Motta, which took its distance from Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy and has the desire to introduce the brand to a whole new and younger audience, starting from the DNA of the company (the famous tricot shoe that marked the great success) . Starting from the tradition of couture sneakers, Motta presented to debut the Spring Summer collection 2019 and RCLN Project. La SS 2019 It expresses the call to a geographical and cultural exoticism through six main themes, with strong dark and romantic connotations. Important news on the front of the soles: the inevitable next R-Evolve, five will appear unusual for the brand. R-Funk It is the new sole cassette minimal design, that develops on the upper laced, proposed in the traditional version or the more innovative with nylon laces criss cross, elastic invisible and crossed wrenches. R-Load inspired by the tradition of outdoor running, proposing the concept of the bottom of the tank in the classic variant and in that with maxi-R Load wedge +. R-Start e R-Bubble They are the result of advanced design research, that identify the strongest trends and interpret them through stylistic Rucoline: from an R-Start side elaborates in key bold and ultra-contemporary maxi volumes typical outdoor aesthetics, the other R-Bubble relies on the soft rounded silhouette and more feminine sportswear. Ophelia republished in key sporty sandal platform, offering contemporary femininity and strong character. The men's proposal, in a specular way, He plays all the themes of the collection. The RCLN Project, invece, It starts with a clever mix of technical materials and pioneering work. The mood of 80 creations (50 for women and 30 for men ) It is decidedly Eighties, where the neoprene is mixed with suede, the skin and the Naplack paint invoking the vintage world of computer Eighty years: the plastic materials and the fact termosaldate prints reminiscent of the electronic circuits and the whole is combined in a color palette B&W illuminated by bright primary colors.

In the Monumental Complex of Santa Maria Novella, a multimedia exhibition gives voice to the most important trend of the next season, which means the relationship between sport and menswear. Curata Markus Ebner, founder of the German fashion magazine Warning mode e Sepp Football Fashion and contemporary art critic Francesco Bonami, the path reaffirms the influence of the football world in the imaginary collective male construction, starting from World Cup 2018 taking place in Russia and aesthetic strongly inspired to Eastern Europe. Continuous is the exchange between the two worlds fashion.football: designers who create uniforms for teams, players who become brand ambassador or viewers of parades, in a video game, sketches (the latter made, among others, da Karl Lagerfeld e Hiroshi Tanabe), stock photography. They retraced the careers of historical figures such as George Best, Eric Cantona or Gigi Meroni, True fans of fashion, one of the forerunners of the close relationship between football and costumes, while a special Street Style section sees players like David Beckham, Neymar and Franck Ribéry and their daywear. Within FANATIC FEELINGS is also room BLUE, a project room curated by the magazine Eleven and dedicated to the celebration of history, elegance, of tradition, the values ​​of Italian football, at a time that also marks the re-start of the football system in the 120th anniversary of the FIGC - Italian Football Federation. unique images, video, interviews and cult objects that have indelibly marked the history of the national team. The exhibition continues with #YOOXSOCCERCOUTURE, a special project YOOX, developed in partnership with Sepp, which brought together for the World Cup and the European football championships in recent years, a team of international designers for an exclusive capsule of sweatshirts and t-shirts inspired by their countries. The soundtrack of the exhibition is curated by electronic music pioneer DJ Hell, who has put together a unique and ironic end of the fashion shows, soundtracks of Karl Lagerfeld, along with the choirs of fans and clips from live radio broadcasts, mixed with its unique electronic samples.

It acclimatized in the cloister of "Charterhouse", ancient monastery of the fourteenth century near Florence, of background music of Bjork and Missy Elliott, The debut collection of Paul Surridge for the Roberto Cavalli man combines dynamism, snappy silhouettes and a skillful use of color. Abandoning the excesses that characterized the brand until a few years ago, the designer opts for minimal lines and contemporary, for a quick presentation and snappy. The streetwear approach declines in the shade of the white linen, in exotic leather pants in 5 bag, reminiscent of the nineties, in light blousons and trench, meditated in the use of the printing jeans zebra. The more tailored garments, recalling the background of Surridge (Ex-Zegna), they allure unstructured and fluid, which is particularly noticeable in bright clothes for the evening . Surridge has revisited the iconic pieces of the Italian fashion house, with-smooth viscose vest; trucker jackets in white python; bold look clubbers and some beautiful white jackets embroidered cross stitch. The central part of the collection is dominated dall'animalier so loved by the founder: line, Tiger, leopard and giraffe are proposed in the liners and the reverse of many leaders. The head more appropriate of the collection was a nylon jacket that reproduces printed Casio watches images of the 70 gold and silver. Accessories are in line with the trend, who sees the predominance of important and showy sneakers aerodynamic shape and boots-sneaker in python by hyper-technological soles.

Giovedì 14 Giugno

Herno Library

Another historical company, time sort Lesa, on Lake Maggiore, It celebrates its seventieth year in business : it is Herno, whose history dotted with a thousand hits is deeply tied to the theme of water. Famous for raincoats result of the precise intuition of the founder Giuseppe Marenzi, celebra il suo “know-how” con L.I.B.R.A.R.Y, synonymous library, omnipresent symbol in the brand's boutiques, but also stands for a warning, Let Imagination Break Rules And Reveal Yourself and the name of a project presented at the Stazione Leopolda. A real journey made of images, heritage, emotions that culminates in the installation "Water Echoes" designed by Studio Azzurro, where the drain in harmonious rhythmic fashion water initiates the path of the cult leader creation, raincoat, also called "Imper" movies in years '50 Istituto Luce. timeless garment, repeatedly reread, decostruito, upset, strengthened, decontestualizzato, enriched by urban accents, couture, embellished fabrics and enhanced in performance. The installation section dedicated to Japan refers to the desire to export the Made In Italy and introduce our know-how beyond national borders: desire that has turned into reality with the great success of the famous coat by padding lining. Continue your journey to the US and the company started to look to the needs of the female audience, enriching its offer with dresses, suits and coats. With the beginning of the third millennium, the name of the company is carried on by his son Claudio, which introduces a good dose of modernity to the brand, the attention to eco-sustainability and design, the intuition of new quilts from ultralight 200 gr : All this is explained in "My Water Point of view". The democratic point of view of Herno, attentive to new generations, It was consolidated in collaboration with students Polimoda Florence and the Osaka Institute of Fashion in the design of new contents that were close to the iconography of the brand along with six seamstresses specializing in using the latest generation machinery.

Opening “Giorgio Armani” boutique

Models of the collection FW 2017/18 parading in front of the new boutiqueI "Morcheeba"I “Morcheeba” al Giorgio’s partyA detail of the Palazzo Pandolfini party

Giorgio Armani has opened its new boutique in Florence Via De’ Tornabuoni 83 / r with a private party maxi "George's", exclusive appointment, including hydrangeas and gardenias in full bloom, Palazzo Pandolfini in the Italian garden, one of the most beautiful late-Renaissance buildings in the city The 700 guests danced to the tune of Morcheeba, Old London group exploded in the late '90s with the album "Big Calm, and went on the rampage with dance tracks selected by Sergio Tavelli and Graziano of the Mist. Previously, opposite the new shop, Models and models showed the guests some leaders of the latest collections, as always marked by the innate elegance and sophistication of "King George". The new boutique respects the original architecture of the building, with nine windows overlooking the historic street Florentine shopping. The various rooms are connected by portals exquisite platinum-plated, while particular attention has been paid to the light of the various environments study. In addition to the first line of clothing, are available special sections dedicated to accessories, fragrances and make up of the "Giorgio Armani Beauty".

In limonaia's Palazzo Corsini Garden , Via della Scala, Montblanc has recreated an urban feel and dynamic to present the new collection of luggage # MY4810 between skaters, graffiti artists and famous Dj, come Tinie Tempah, that animated the evening. Guest stars of the evening the actor Adrien Brody, Models Toni Garrn and Winnie Harlow, influencers Valentina Ferragni, Luke Vezil, Carlo Sestini, Andrea Marcaccini, Giotto Calendoli, Elbit Bonsaglio, Matthew Zorpas, Kadu Dantas, Horacio Pancheri, the golfer Jason Day and dancers Gabriele Esposito and Eric Underwood , Oltre a Nicolas Baretzki, CEO of Montblanc International. Digital interactive area guests were able to photograph the best of the evening memories through animated GIFs to share with friends. The collection, wholly Italian production, It is characterized by cases in five different sizes, high performance, the contemporary approach and dynamism, thinking of the modern globetrotter.

Guest designers of the event and the last event in calendar, the innovative English, who has accustomed us to shows in unusual environments such as abandoned buildings or dilapidated, He decided to present his collection in the Boboli Gardens, in at a meadow isolated hidden by trees, just steps from the Ocean Fountain by Giambologna. The models walked zigzag between ports cut into squares of black fabric so that the various guests could scorcere details looks at different times, before they stood before their eyes in all their entirety. “I was thinking of attendants, surgeons and postmen. They are the people who have your life in their hands. There was the idea of ​​the forgotten savior. I liked the idea that people could become angels in their lives working hard and doing good ” The peculiarity of Green is able to express the complexity and simplicity rooted at the same time. And fear. "The outlines of the angels of some outfits reminiscent of the contours drawn in chalk at a crime scene. There is also the idea dark. I always found it interesting that when 10 people are asked to give testimony, all say something different”. Green has its trademark: the recurring theme of the rope, remnants of flags; its unmistakable parka and waterproof ankle-length, but it has made great breakthrough in extra seams, let visible to create the coasts of some pieces. Green has partnered with Nike to bring their tissue Flyknit, used in sneakers, in clothes. ” The final was very conceptual with blurry prints, multicolored blankets and lined with ropes. "Sometimes the scariest thing is reality", says the designer. “And sometimes the best thing you can think is something that you do not know, as an afterlife or heaven.”